Living Scholarship: A Field Report

摘要

From the outset I observe that this question registers "numbers and statistics" asthe first issue to be discussed in this new journal devoted to communication inquiry. I would posit other questions as primary for communication inquiry. Questions like: Why do you study human communication? What and whom are you seeking to learn about? Whom do you consider to be the primary audience(s) for your work? Whom are you addressing in accomplishing and rendering the understandings you create (or obscure) through your learning activities pursued with others? What or whom do you consider to constitute the auspices for your work? What role do your and others' identity needs, personal and social responsibilities, necessity to earn a living, and desire for connection and meaningful human involvement play in your work? How do you hope your work will be used? I believe we need to pose such questions in launching a new journal that strives to be broad-minded and suitably reflexive in facilitating conversation about responsive and responsible inquiries concerning communication and the human condition. In short, I experience the framing question for this issue as narrow, leading, and loaded--one that far too quickly foregrounds and holds me accountable to a quantitative vocabulary of motives.